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Caitlin Clark has revolutionized women’s basketball, from her days at Iowa to her current team, the Indiana Fever. Since joining the Fever, jersey sales have soared by 1,193 percent, ticket sales by 264 percent, and the team has gained 38 nationally televised games, as reported by the Indy Star.
If you were to stroll through the University of Iowa campus today, you would almost certainly spot someone sporting a Fever shirt.
While the attention on Clark and the Indiana Fever is commendable, it should not be the sole reason for watching the WNBA. With only 12 teams, the league already has 18 fewer teams than the NBA.
The WNBA has plans to expand with three new teams, including those in Portland, San Francisco, and Toronto. The Golden State Valkyries will join the league next season, followed by Portland and Toronto in 2026.
This expansion mirrors the rapid growth of women’s basketball in recent years. The 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament saw the women’s tournament attracting more viewers than the men’s for the first time in history, according to the NCAA. This surge in viewership is driven by the star power of women’s basketball players.
Names like Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink have become widely recognized in the sports world, drawing large crowds and significant viewership. Following their college careers, they made their way to the WNBA, further propelling the league’s growth.
Although Clark’s entry into the WNBA has garnered the spotlight, there are numerous other WNBA players worthy of your attention.
A’ja Wilson, a three-time MVP and two-time champion with the Las Vegas Aces, stands out as one of the top players in the WNBA, despite not receiving as much attention as Clark.
Breanna Stewart, known for her success at UConn and in the pros, claimed the MVP title in 2023 and led the New York Liberty to a WNBA championship win in 2020, her third championship victory.
Courtney Williams, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx, has been a consistent performer in her eighth season in the league. She faced Stewart’s New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals and continues to contribute solid numbers for her team, earning an All-Star title in 2021 as well.
In positive news, the WNBA postseason this year recorded the highest viewership ever, averaging 970,000 viewers — a 142 percent increase from the previous year’s 470,000, according to Front Office Sports.
Moreover, the league saw its highest total attendance in 22 years, with the Fever’s home attendance reaching a single-season record of 340,715 fans, as reported by the WNBA.
The WNBA’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing down.
I urge you to watch the WNBA not only for Caitlin Clark, but for all the incredible athletes who contribute to making this league exceptional.
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